Colleen joined Newark Community Solutions, the Center’s community justice initiative in New Jersey, as the Clinical Coordinator in 2014. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Director of New Jersey Programs at the Center for Justice Innovation, she now oversees Newark Community Solutions and supports the Center’s work throughout the state of New Jersey. Colleen possesses over a decade of experience working with people involved in the legal system in both community and custodial settings. In addition to her work at the Center, Colleen works in higher education and is an alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Clinical Scholars program, a national leadership program that helps interdisciplinary teams of clinicians build a culture of health in their communities.
Colleen holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree from McGill University.
A Focus on the People We Serve: Reflections from the State of the Judiciary
At this year's State of the Judiciary, Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson shared the podium with guest speakers who have seen firsthand what happens when courts treat people with care and compassion.
A conversation with our Recovery and Reform team on their new name, the intersection of the justice system and substance use, and taking on racial disparities in treatment courts.
This Outreach Team Provides Care Before People Face Crisis
Nobody should have to be arrested in order to get help. That’s why our street outreach team in Syracuse is meeting people where they are—and expanding what care looks like.
Breaking the Cycle: Prioritizing Mental Health Needs in the Courtroom
Many people with mental health challenges wind up in the criminal legal system because they have virtually nowhere else to go. Take a look inside the special court program in Manhattan working to change that.
